Posted on 03/27/2015 7:15:56 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
I’m tempted to accuse Team Walker of feeding this bit of oppo to MSNBC to take some heat off of their own rolling clusterfark on immigration. But I’m sure author Benjy Sarlin, a smart guy who follows this issue for the network, hit on it himself. (Wouldn’t Walker’s team have leaked it to Fox to maximize Cruz’s embarrassment among conservatives?) To a lefty, the tangle of GOP primary politics on amnesty must be irresistible: Why is Scott Walker taking a beating on the right for supporting legalization when Ted Cruz, Mr. Conservative, also supported legalization in the form of work permits as recently as 2013? How can Ted Cruz be the “anti-amnesty” candidate in the field when his position — at least as of two years ago — is basically indistinguishable from Walker’s and (gasp) Jeb Bush’s?
Sarlin went to Team Cruz with a question. Does he still support work permits for illegals or, like Walker, has he shifted further to the right just in time for the GOP primaries? Answer: Yep, he’s still on the legalization express.
Asked by msnbc about where Cruz stands now on legalization, campaign spokeswoman Catherine Frazier said that the senator has been “consistent” and confirmed that the views he expressed in the Tribune had not changed. While Frazier said Cruz believes a path to citizenship “flies in the face of the rule of law,” she declined to apply the same label when asked about legal status in the right circumstances.
“I think his main priority is dealing with the border security component and making sure that we know who is coming into the country and making sure that we have control over who is coming into the country and then we can deal with what to do with the people who are already here,” she said…
[Mark] Krikorian told msnbc Cruz’s position easily fits the bill [of amnesty].
“It’s the same thing: ‘I’m against amnesty, but amnesty doesn’t include giving people work permits,’” Krikorian said. “Really? The Obama didn’t give amnesty to all those people.”
That last bit is a fun new addition to the many Cruz/Obama comparisons floating around political media since Cruz’s campaign launch this week. It’s an amazing testament, though, to how deeply GOP pols fear the growing Latino demographic that even Ted Cruz — Ted Cruz — refuses to go whole hog in pandering to righties on this while otherwise running for president as the most complete, principled conservative since Ronald Reagan. Somehow, of the roughly 1,400 Republican candidates set to jump into the race this year, not a single one (that I know of) takes the Romney line that self-deportation is the solution to illegal immigration. The next time you hear a Democrat grumble that the party hasn’t “evolved” at all since its loss in 2012, remind them that work permits for illegals is now the baseline even for alleged “fire-breathers” like Ted Cruz.
All of this makes me wonder, in fact, whether Cruz is really eyeing the presidential nomination or the VP slot. If he’s thinking about the former, he might as well embrace self-deportation and be the total conservative dream figure that tea partiers want him to be. Banging the drum on that would distinguish him sharply from every other man in the field in the eyes of border hawks, of which there are many in the primary electorate. Sure, it would hurt him in the general election, but as a relative longshot for the nomination, he can’t worry about that now. Might as well go full metal conservative, try to win the primaries, and then let the chips fall where they may against Hillary. The fact that he resists dogmatic conservatism on this point (and really only this point) means he’s willing to trade a notable bit of extra right-wing cred for a little cred with moderates, something that doesn’t obviously benefit him in the primaries — as a presidential candidate. As a vice-presidential candidate, though, it benefits him a lot. Jeb Bush might balk at putting Cruz on the ticket if he’s running around talking up self-deportation; having him on record as pro-legalization, though, makes him more salable to the Latino voters that Jeb will be trying to impress. And of course righties will forgive Cruz his heresy on this point since he has fewer heresies than anyone else running. Is any tea partier going to be less excited about the thought of Ted Cruz being one heartbeat away just because he supports work permits? C’mon.
They have a legal status: criminal invaders
CRUZ: All across this country, Republicans campaigned, saying: if you elect a Republican Senate, we will stop President Obama's illegal amnesty. We need to honor what we said. We should use the constitutional checks and balances that we have to rein in the abuse of power of the executive. Step #1 is if the president implements this lawless amnesty, that the Senate will not confirm any executive or judicial nominees.
CRUZ: We should use the constitutional checks and balances that we have to rein in the abuse of power of the executive. Step #1 that I have called for is the incoming majority leader should announce if the president implements this lawless amnesty, that the Senate will not confirm any executive or judicial nominees, other than vital national security positions, for the next two years, unless and until the president ends this lawless amnesty. That is an explicit authority given to the Senate.
Q: Are you saying the Senate should refuse to confirm the president's new nominee for attorney general?
CRUZ: We have to rein in the executive. In the Federalist Papers, our Framers talked about a president who would behave like a monarch. And step #2, we've got is the power of the purse, and we should fund one at a time the critical priorities of the federal government, but also use the power of the purse to attach riders.
Both agreed that the US has failed to secure its border with Mexico, and said they oppose amnesty for illegal immigrants and the Obama administration's new directive allowing many young illegal immigrants brought to the US as children to be exempted from deportation.
MORE QUOTES FROM TED CRUZ ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION:
http://www.ontheissues.org/2016/Ted_Cruz_Immigration.htm
Boots on the ground, plus a wall
Border wall: James and Leppert oppose a wall, Dewhurst and Cruz tout “boots on the ground” and a wall in some places.
Source: BurntOrangeReport.com on 2012 Texas Senate Debate , Apr 18, 2012
___________________________________
Triple the size of the Border Patrol
Cruz on immigration: Wants to triple size of Border Patrol. Says Dewhurst supported in-state tuition for kids of illegal immigrants.
Dewhurst: I have always been against an amnesty program. “If they want to be a citizen, they ought to go home and reapply.”
Dewhurst says he was against tuition for children of illegal immigrants.
Source: KVUE coverage of 2012 Texas Senate debate , Mar 29, 2012
______________________________________
Strengthen border security and increase enforcement
Ted Cruz has worked to strengthen border security and help ensure that America remains a nation of laws. Among other efforts, he has worked on efforts to increase penalties for felons who enter the country illegally.
Ted authored a U.S. Supreme Court amicus brief on behalf of 10 states in Lopez v. Gonzales, urging the strictest enforcement of laws punishing those with prior felony convictions who entered the country illegally.
Source: Campaign website, www.tedcruz.org, “Issues” , Jul 17, 2011
His campaign vs leftist lying press
Who to believe?
Anything short of deporting illegal aliens is amnesty. There is no gray area here.
Granted your posted but your wall or words would most be more welcome with a short video . Ever think of that?
RE: Anything short of deporting illegal aliens is amnesty. There is no gray area here.
Well, it looks like other than Tom Tancredo, we don’t have anyone who can satisfy the above criteria...
I was wondering why Louie said he might run.
I don’t put much credence in what ‘Allahpundit’ is selling. He’s shown to be a RINO time and time again. Some say he’s Joe Scarborough.
To paraphrase Whoopie Goldgrabber, is it legal status (green cards) or amnesty? Let’s say you offer up green cards under the stipulation that #1 you haven’t been charged with a felony.
#2 You don’t receive any social welfare benefits (Why did my Danish brother in law that’s been married to my sister for 27 years, that makes 6 figures, who’s had a green card before, have to give a sponsor that is worth 7 figures, before getting another green card?)
#3 Why is there no biometric info on State benefit cards like cross checking to reduce welfare fraud? A Sheriffs Deputy who shall remain unnamed told me that in most arrests, the perp has a wallet full of multiple identities and multiple benefit cards. Anecdotal experience at Wal-Mart on my part can verify this phenomenon. Not to mention the brand new Cadillac Escalade she got into with her litter of feral kids.
Why, oh why, can’t someone make a definitive statement on this issue. I can see us looking very weak and uncertain on this. Cruz HAS TO do better than this:
“I think his main priority is dealing with the border security component and making sure that we know who is coming into the country and making sure that we have control over who is coming into the country and then we can deal with what to do with the people who are already here,” she said…
...........................................
Well, is it to much to ask him to very clearly state EXACTLY what will happen to the illegals currently here? These people have had years to think about this issue and this what we get?
Your right. I’ve listened to Cruz several times and he is legalistically careful to dismiss amnesty, which he defines as citizenship, and non-amnesty, which is legalization. This is playing games with the definition of “is”. Amnesty is amnesty and both are giving people who came here or stayed here illegally, who took jobs illegally, often stoled ID, and in every way disrespected our laws a pass on their actions. No this is amnesty. Sad no one cares to enforce our laws, to deport illegal aliens.
#2 You don’t receive any social welfare benefits
...............................................
Just making conversation but how about medicare when these millions of workers hit 65?
There will not be a national GOP candidate that will deport every illegal alien. Not going to happen, ever. Not Cruz, not Walker, nobody.
The FReepers who cling to the idea that we’re not going to have some form of ‘amnesty’ are utterly naïve. Best case scenario we secure the border. The cake is baked.
Politicians say things. What do they do? That’s all that matters.
This issue is a no-brainer. All Republicans should be diametrically opposed to ANY forms of amnesty. In fact, they should be loudly trumpeting their support against amnesty and frame the issue in terms of national security, public safety, public health, and national sovereignty.
This includes weasel words such as "pathway to citizenship," "earned citizenship," "legal status", or "back of the line." ENOUGH! All illegal aliens residing in the U.S. MUST go home. NO EXCEPTIONS. They are NOT America's problem. I don't care about the sob stories of babies or illegals who became productive citizens after 10 or 20 years. I don't care.
Also, legal immigration needs to be completely overhauled. Repeal the 1965 Ted Kennedy Immigration bill and return to a strict quota system. Abolish green cards, guest-worker permits, and H1-B visas.
GOPe liars who cling to their idea that they can trick me into voting for their amnesty lovers and against US sovereignty have another thing coming. I’ll write in Arpaio before I’ll ever vote for anyone who is ok with giving the invaders a pass.
Amazing some find that to be such an "extreme" position.
This is called ‘sowing dissension’.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.